Originally posted by LyricalDrug I apologize in advance for the generalization, but the overall tone of this thread is what embarrasses me about certain types of U2 fans. People are taking this stuff wayyyyyyyyyyy too seriously. It's all quite Spinal Tap.

Remember when Bono said "we don't want to be a cult band"? It's because he doesn't want psycho fans like some of you all ruining it for everyone else.

Just chill out and enjoy the show from wherever you happen to watch it. Sheesh!

you're embarrassed about fans who care?

oh, and apology accepted for the completely irrelevant generalization..

I'd like to hear from anyone who has some HARD FACTS about how the lottery system and subsequent scan process works.

I don't know how I forgot about this, but I was told by more than one person on the U2 tour crew that the GA tickets are PRE CODED.

The lottery happens when you buy your ticket and your ticket is an ellipse ticket from the second you have it or, as the case may be, it is not.

That would totally debunk all the theories about spreading yourself out over the line so that you increase the margin of 1 in every 8 or whatever scanning.

It also completely makes the following situation make absolute sense: I've seen large numbers of people go thru without a scan. Then I've seen cases where an equally large number of people scan in a row.

if thats true then i guess the people with GA tickets that are precoded for the ellipse but show up after the computers are taken down really get fucked don't they?

and dont tell me they should have known to go earlier. u2.com says even the last person to show up will have a chance at the ellipse. and pretty much all normal people decide to go to a show around showtime, crazy i know. yet the computers are taken down by then.

i wouldnt mind the lottery so much if they ran it right, gave out good info, and did things consistently from venue to venue. but that doesn't happen and thats what makes this lottery system so sucky.